Luke pointing the quail pen
Blaze pointing the quail pen.
Tur Bo pointing the quail pen.
I’ve been working a friends dog, Sadie, to see if I can get her to quit lying down on point. I’ve, also, been working my dogs on being steady to wing and shot. I work Sadie 6 days a week but normally work mine every other day.
I bought some old kennels and put them together to make a pen 25 feet by 5 feet. I covered the inside and top with chicken wire and put some 2×4 welded wire on the bottom then put 11 Tennessee red quail in it. I had guided a church group that had used Tennessee reds and they seemed tougher and flew better than some of the bob white birds I had seen. When I bought the quail I didn’t know that Tennessee red quail don’t recall very well.
Luke, Blaze and Tur Bo are steady to wing and shot on pigeons on my training grounds but aren’t steady on quail. I’ve always let them chase after the flush and now I’m wanting to break them steady to wing and shot. All 3 of the dogs are whoa broke. If they are running and I say, “whoa” they will stop. When I guide, I tell my dogs to whoa then give my safety talk and they will not move until I say, “okay”. If they are chasing a flushing quail and I say, “whoa” they won’t even slow down.
I like to train without putting a lot of pressure on the dogs. The first day of training after getting the quail (I left the quail in the pen for about 2 weeks) I heeled Luke to a pulley system I have in a tree. There is a long check cord that I can hook to his collar and around his flanks. I hooked him up and heeled him around then when he was directly under the pulley I said, “whoa”. I had hidden 2 pigeons and a quail in release traps about 6 to 10 yards in front of him.
I walked in front of him holding the end of the check cord. If he moves I can lift him off his feet. As I walked back and forth I flushed a pigeon that was in a release trap. He didn’t move and I continued to walk back and forth. I flushed another pigeon and he didn’t move. As I continued to walk I flushed the quail. He still didn’t move.
I wasn’t happy with this exercise but I went ahead and worked Blaze next. She didn’t move either although her quail didn’t fly well. Then I brought Tur Bo down and whoaed him under the pulley. I had a hold of the check cord and released a pigeon. He took a couple of steps and I raised him off the ground. He started twisting around while he was in the air and I kept him off the ground until he quit fighting. I eased him to the ground then started walking again. I flushed the other pigeon and he didn’t move. I continued to walk in front of him and flushed the quail. This quail flew from in front of him to the fence row about 35 yards behind him. He took a step as he turned to watch it fly away. I lifted him off the ground. He didn’t fight and I eased him back to the ground.
The next time I worked them I decided to do a little more with them. I heeled Blaze to the retrieving bench with the Sport Dog e-collars on her neck and flanks. On the way to the bench I held the button on the transmitter down, on a real low level, then said “whoa”. I did this 3 or 4 times to remind her that any electricity she felt, on her flanks, was about whoa. I had her jump on the bench. After walking her up and down petting her I had her do 5 or 6 retrieves. I then set her on the ground and had her hold a bumper. I had her hold it while I heeled her around for about 40 yards. I whoaed her, took the bumper then released her.
She ran toward the back of the training grounds but I knew she was going to circle around and go to the quail pen. As soon as I released her I started to the quail pen so I could see what she was going to do. She went on point about 25 yards from the pen but when I got to her she wasn’t real rigid. I tapped her head and she moved up within about 5 yards of the pen where she could smell the birds real well. I said “whoa and went inside the quail pen. The quail ran from one end of the pen to the other and she didn’t move. I ran them from one end to the other 4 or 5 times. She didn’t move until a couple flew instead of running. When they hit the ground she was as close as she could get to them. It’s a good thing she couldn’t get inside the pen. I held the button on the transmitter down on a light level and picked her up and set her back. I went back in the pen and chased the birds back and forth. She was good as long as the birds just ran but when one flew she moved again. Finally, one flew and she didn’t move. I petted her telling her how great she is then put her up.
I heeled Luke to the retrieving bench with the e-collars on his neck and flanks. I whoaed him 4 or 5 times on the way to the bench by holding the button on the transmitter down, on the flank collar, on a low setting. He jumped on the bench and I walked him back and forth petting him. I had him retrieve a bumper 4 or 5 times then set him on the ground. I had him fetch the bumper and hold it. I walked him just a few feet and he dropped the bumper. I pinched his lip against his teeth and held the bumper in front of him saying fetch. He took the bumper and I heeled him about 40 yards then said “give”. He dropped it in my hand. I released him to hunt.
He started toward the back but went through a crossing in the fence row and went to the quail pen. He went on point 25 or 30 yards from the pen. When I got to him I tapped him on the head and said “okay”. He moved up close enough to smell the quail and went on point. I went inside the pen and ran the quail back and forth. He was solid as long as they just ran. When one flew he was as close as he could get when the quail hit the ground. I held the button on the transmitter down, on the flank collar, on a low setting and carried him back. I went back in the pen and ran the quail back and forth again. I had to catch a quail and toss it to get one to fly but he didn’t move. I petted him telling him what a good boy he is then put him up.
I heeled Tur Bo to the bench with the e-collars on. I whoaed him several times by holding the button on the transmitter down, on the flank collar, on a low setting. He jumped on the bench and I walked him back and forth petting him. I had him retrieve a bumper 4 or 5 times then set him on the ground. I held the bumper in front of him and said “fetch”. He grabbed the bumper and we started walking. He dropped the bumper. I pinched his lip against his teeth and put the bumper back in his mouth. We started of again and he dropped the bumper. I pinched his lip against his teeth and replaced the bumper in his mouth. I heeled him about 50 yards and he held the bumper. I whoaed him and said “give”. He dropped it in my hand. When I released him he ran toward the back but cut through and headed for the quail pen.
He pointed when he was about 30 yards from the pen. I tapped his head and said “okay” and he moved up closer and went back on point. He, too, was okay as long as they only ran but as soon as one flew he moved. I held the button on the transmitter down, on the flank collar, on a low setting and carried him back. I had to carry him back 3 or 4 times before he stayed steady. As soon as he didn’t move I put him up.
The quail have put a new dimension to my training. I’m going to continue working the dogs several times a week on the quail. The dogs should quit moving on quail, here, and I will have to enforce it other places, also. I will continue to write about working the dogs and if you will continue reading we will see how it comes out.
Luke
Blaze
Tur Bo